The present invention relates to a metal laminate gasket for an internal combustion engine with an engaging device, such as a cylinder head gasket and a manifold gasket, which can be securely attached to dowels or bolts on an engine part.
When a cylinder head and a cylinder block are assembled together, the cylinder block is placed on a floor or a platform, and a gasket is placed on the cylinder block so that dowels formed on the cylinder block are located in dowel holes of the gasket. Then, the cylinder head is placed above the gasket, and the cylinder head and the cylinder block are tightened together by bolts.
In order to easily assemble the gasket on the cylinder block, the diameter or size of the dowel hole of the gasket is made slightly larger than the diameter of the dowel. Therefore, in case the cylinder block with the gasket thereon is shaken, the gasket may disengage from the cylinder block.
Especially, in a V-type engine, gasket attaching surfaces of the cylinder block incline downwardly. Therefore, even if the gaskets are installed on the gasket attaching surfaces of the cylinder block, the gaskets may disengage from the cylinder block.
Similarly, in case a manifold gasket is installed in the cylinder head having bolts for fixing a manifold to the cylinder head, the manifold gasket is placed on the cylinder head such that the bolts engage bolt holes of the manifold gasket. When the cylinder head with the manifold gasket thereon is shaken, the manifold gasket may disengage from the bolts.
In an automatic assembly line for engines, the engines are continuously or consecutively moved. In some cases, the engine parts are stopped for a while for assembly, and then moved. In the automatic assembly line, it is troublesome to check the gasket in each engine, and to install a gasket in case no gasket is placed on the engine part.
In order to solve the above problems, there had been proposed U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,083,801, 5,095,867, 5,096,325, 5,154,529 and 5,259,629.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,095,867, 5,096,325 and 5,154,529, it is required to use specific dowel pins. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,083,801 and 5,259,629, although no specific dowel pins are required, if the gasket is shaken strongly, the gasket may still disengage from the dowel pins or bolts.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a metal laminate gasket having an engaging device to prevent the gasket from accidentally disengaging from the engine part even if the gasket is strongly shaken while the strength of the engaging device can be regulated easily.
Another object of the invention is to provide a metal laminate gasket as stated above, which can be easily installed on the engine without affecting sealing ability of the gasket.
A further object of the invention is to provide a metal laminate gasket as stated above, which can be easily and economically manufactured.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.